Resilient wheel.



C. A. WHALE 64 J. H. BLACK.

BESILIENT WHEEL APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. I917.

Patented Feb. 26,1918.

UNITED STATES PATT FFICE. 4

CHARLES A. WHALE AND JAMES H. BLACK, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

Application filed April 26, 1917. Serial No. 164,789.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A.NVI-1ALE and J AMES H. BLACK, citizens of the United States, residing in Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to resilient wheels of the type in which telescoping pairs of radially disposed cylindrical members are used, with one or more resilient mediums therein, and with tread members operating upon the outer member, whereby weight upon the wheel causes a resilient relative movement of said telescoping cylindrical members.

In order to more fully explain our invention we have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying sheet of drawings, which we will now describe.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one-half of a resilient wheel embodying our invention, with certain parts shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a radial sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 shows a detail.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, a wheel structure of the usual construction may be used, comprising the hub 1, the spokes 2-, and the felly 3. Mounted upon the felly 3, is a hollow tirelike metal body 4, into which is screwed in radial relationship a series of cylinders 5, provided with openings 6, within the body 4, whereby said cylinders communicate with the interior of said annular body 4. An air supply tube 7,is mounted through the felly 8, for the purpose of supplying air under pressure to the annular body 4t, and to said cylinders 5. Mounted within each of said cylinders 5, are two cuplike floating pistons, 8 and 9, provided around their peripheries with grooves in which any suitable packing can be placed, as will be clearly understood from the drawings. Telescoping over the outer ends of each of said cylinders 5, is an outer cylinder member 10, provided in its outer end with a hemi-spherical cap 11, having a filling aperture 12, therethrough, closed at its outer end by means of a plug 13. Mounted upon each of said caps 11, is a tread member 14, said tread members being arranged in alinement circumferentially of the wheel, as clearly indicated, and provided in their outer faces, or

- peripheries, with circumferentially extend holding them in proper radial positions relf ative to each other.

As a resilient medium operating within the telescoping cylinder members 5 and 10, we prefer that air be supplied to the inner ends of said cylinders through the supply tube 7, and through the body member 4:; that an emulsion, which may be of a mixture of heavy oil and air, should be used between the floating pistons 8 and 9 and that a heavier oil, or grease, should be used in the outer ends of said telescoping cylinders. The

emulsion, of course, would be placed between the floating pistons as they are assembled, and the grease in the outer ends thereof will be supplied by the removal of the plugs 13 in the caps 11. 'Thus will this combination of air, emulsion and heavy oil, constituting a resilient medium in each of the telescoping cylinders we secure a most effective resilient action for the tread members, which is also noiseless and puncture-proof. This resiliency can be regulated by the amount of air supplied through the tube 7.

We are aware that many changes can be made in our invention as here illustrated without departing from the spirit thereof, and we do not, therefore, limit ourselves to these details, except as we may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a resilient wheel, in combination, a wheel member, an annular hollow tire-like body around said wheel member, a series of radially disposed telescoping cylindrical members mounted in said hollow body and communicating with the interior thereof, a series of tread members circumferentially disposed around said wheel and bearing on said outer cylindrical members, means for holding said tread members in circumferential alinement with each other, two floating pistons in said cylindrical members, and a composition therebetween, and in the outer ends of said cylindrical members, substantially as described.

2. In a resilient wheel, in combination, a wheel body, a hollow tire-like body around said wheel body, a series of telescoping cylindrical members radially disposed and connected with said tire-like body, floating pistons within said telescoping cylindrical members, a composition therebetween, and a pressure transmitting medium between the outer cylindrical member and the outer floating piston, a series of tread members cir cumferentially disposed around said wheel and seated upon the outer ends of said telescoping cylinder members, means for holding said tread members in proper circumferential alinement with each other, and means for supplying a resilient medium to said telescoping cylinders, substantially as described.

3. In a resilient wheel, in combination, a wheel structure, a series of pairs of telescoping cylinder members radially disposed around said wheel structure, floating pistons within said telescoping cylinder members, a composition therebetween, means for supplying a resilient medium to the inner ends of said cylinders, a pressure transmitting medium in the outer ends of said cylindrical members, a series of tread members seated on the outer ends of said cylinder members, and means for holding said tread members in circumferential alinement with each other, substantially as described,

4:. In a resilient wheel, in combination, a wheel structure, a series of telescoping pairs of cylinder members radially disposed around said wheel structure. means for holding the same in fixed radial positions, a series of circumferentially disposed tread members seated on the outer ends of said cylinder members, means for holding said tread members in circumferential alinement with each other, a plurality of floating pistons within each pair of telescoping cylinder members, a heavy grease therebetween, and a pressure transmitting medium 111 said cylinder members at their opposite ends, substantially as described.

5. In a resilient wheel, in combination with a wheel structure and a series of circumferentially disposed tread members, a series of radially disposed telescoping pairs of cylinder members between said wheel structure and said tread members, floating pistons within said cylinder members, pressure transmitting medium in the opposite ends of said telescoping cylindrical mem bers, and a grease mixture between said floating pistons, substantially as described.

6. In a resilient wheel of the character referred to, in combination, a wheel structure, a series of circumferentially disposed tread members, a series of radially disposed, telescoping pairs of cylindrical members between said wheel structure and said tread members, said tread members bearing upon the outer ends of said cylindrical members, means connecting the inner ends of said cylindrical members in communication with each other, means for supplying a resilient medium to the inner ends of said cylindrical. members, two floating pistons within each pair of cylindrical members, a heavy grease mixture therebetween, a heavy liquid medium in the outer ends of said cylindrical members, and means for holding said tread members in circumferential alinement with each other, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Newark, Essex county, New Jersey, by CHARLES A. WHALE, this 25th day of April, 1917.

CHARLES A. lVl-IALE.

In presence of BENNEY Roonnsrnn, STEPHEN H, PLUM.

Signed at Portland, Mnltnomah county, Oregon, by JAMns BLACK, this 18th day of April, 1917.

JAMES H. BLACK.

In presence of- I. M. GRIFFIN, J. C. STBENG.

Genie; 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent,

Washington, D. G. 

